Machine for splitting shakes



March 2 1926.

- J. N. THOMAS MACHINE FOR SPLITTING sHAKEs Filed March 4. 1924 I m j Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

lPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. THOMAS, 0F GARBERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING SHARES.

Application led March 4, 1924. Serial No. 696,816.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES N. THOMAS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Garberville, countyk of Humboldt, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Machine for Splitting Shakes, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for splitting shakes from previously lprepared blocks of wood commonly known as bolts. These blocks are usually made of a length substantially corresponding -to the length of the shakes to be manufactured, of a width about six inches, which corresponds to the `width of the shakes, and of a thickness suflicient to allow a large number of shakes to be cut out of the same. It is proposed in the present invention to rovide a convenient way of separating thin slices of a desired thickness from a bolt and to utilize for this purpose a knife blade mdf/ing horizontally. `This manner of arranging the knife blade allows two different bolts disposed on opposite sides of the blade to be worked on alternately by successive reciprocations of the blade.

It is also proposed in the present invention to provide suitable means for clamping two bolts in suchy a' manner that the thickness of the shake to be separated can be eX- actly determined. It is furthermore proposed to arrange the clamping device in such a manner that after an individual shake has been sliced from the bolt the former is automatically freed from the clamp and pushed out of the way. Further objects and advantages of my device will appear as the specification proceeds.

The referred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine; Figure 2 a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 an enlarged detail view taken along line 3 3 of Figure 1; Figure l an enlarged detail view taken along line 4:-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 an enlarged detail view in plan of a mechanism for posid tioning the outer end of the bolt; and Figure (5 an enlarged side elevation of the said mechanism. While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

My machine is supported on two tables (l) and (2) disposed in parallel relation so as to leave a small crack (3) between the same. The table (l) has supported thereon near its extreme end two blocks (4) and in the central portion thereof two spaced blocks (6), all the four blocks being substantially symmetrical in form and running parallel to one another and being disposed transversely to the length of the table with the edges substantially flush with the edges of the table.

The table(2), which will be referred to as the delivery table as contra-distinguished from table (l) which is the receiving table, is provided with four blocks (7) in places corresponding to the blocks on the receiving table, so that a guide rail (8) being disposed centrally over the crack (3) between the two tables may be supported on the blocks and clamped to the same by means of the clamps This guide rail is formed to receive thereon, with freedom of sliding motion, the back (11) of the blade (l2) which latter' thus depends vertically from the rail and may be reciprocated on the rail by any suitable means, as by the rack and pinion arrangementl (15) shown in the drawing. Each of the blocks (4) on the receiving table forms a pair with the nearest one of the blocks (6), which pair serves as a guide for a bolt of wood, and the blade'is made of suoli a length that when pushed over to the right it clears the space controlled by the left pair of blocks, and if pushed to the left it clears the space controlled by the right pair of blocks.

Between each pair of blocks and (6) there are provided on the receiving table 95 two skids (13) on which the bolt (l) may be placed and pushed forward into an operative position by the operator. The bolts as commonly manufactured vary somewhat in length, and to allow bolts of various 100 lengths to be clamped between the two blocks (l) and (G) l provide a spring` (16) engaging one end of the bolt as the latter' is advanced by the operator.

For the positioning of the bolt prior to the cutting` action, it is necessary to provide means allowing the thickness otl the slice to be separated to be readily adjusted, and to also provide means allowing' ot the individual adjustment ot'thepositioning` means at either end of the block. requirement l provide individually adjustable positioning` means OrstOppingmeans for the advancing' bolt at either end of the same. Remembering that'the blade reciprocates in the space betweenfthe two tables, I allow the bolt tobe advanced over the crack between the tables unt-il'it strikes the two stopping ele-ments (17)y and (17'), the former engaging-the inner end of the bolt andthe latter the. outer end.

The stopping element (1?) consists ot a T shaped plate 18) guided transversely to the receiving table in the guide (19) secured to the block4 (7) with a spring' (21.) bearing against the end ot the plite (18)' and a stationaryfplate (22) offering yieldingA resistance tothe advancing boltl (le) attempting to push the plate (18) backward. ln addition to this yieldingresistance to the advancing; bolt (lil), l provide a positive stopiin the form ot the pin engaging; with the endot` the Tplate the. latter is pushed backwardly by the advancing bolt. The pin (23) may be inserted in one ofthe plurality oi holes (2.4) wherebyits `exact position may be accurately adjusted so that the advance ot the inner end of the bolt may be delinitely stopped at any point desired.

The outer end ot the :.idvancinrc,l bolt is taken care of by the stopping', member (17') which latter comprises a `block (26) pivoted as shown at (27) to a slide (28) adapted to move longitudinally ot the receiving table in: a guideway (29).` The inner end (3.1) of the block is normally urged torwa rd in front ot the advancing' bolt (lil) by means of the sai-ino' 32 which latter, however, yields to the advancing bolt until the block (31) comes to a definite stop when striking the stationary stud the )ositioIl O which latter may be adjusted by utilizing anyone ofthe plurality ot holes (i5-1).

This arrangementthus tar described 'allows thel bolt to be manually pushed torward on the skids (13), the spring; (16) eliminating side play between the blocks and (G), andthe positioning or stopping elementsgon the receiving table engaging the. opposite-.ends ot the advancing' bolt, irst offering yieldingresistance and finally stopping the bolt at the exact point desiredv so that a:clearly deiined portion ot the bolt projects beyond the crack between To tultill thesev the two tables and is ready to be sliced oseparated from the bolt when the blade 'is thrust forward.

The back (11) of the blade is provided at either end with an extension which just before the completion ot the slicing operation strikes the upper end ofv the lever (37) pivoted to the table as at (3S) and enraging by means of the pin (39) the block (26); lt will be re-membered that the latterV block is supported on the slide (28) and the engagementof the extension (SG) with Athe lever (37) Vhasthe effect that the block (26) and the slide (28) are pushed sideways over the resistance of a spring; (41) whereby the extreme point of, the block (2G) is made to clear the outerv end of the bolt (14T). The lever (37) is dimensioned so that atter beingpushed into a slanting position, shown-in FigureQ, by the extension (36), itv'allows the extension (3(3) to ride over thevsame andto thereby hold it in the said slanting` position.

lVhile the outer end of the bolt or rather ot the shake or slice separated therefrom is thus treedL from the stopping' element (17'), the inner endhot' the shake: is still conned between ythe, blade and the block (18), but is pushed sideways by the inember striking the inner` or near end ot the shake. Then the shake is thus pushed. sideways its outer or tar. end, which has been previously cleared of the engagementwithtlie stopping member (17'), rides alongthe face of, the-saine, which is made slant-ing` and curved in: the manner shown in Figure (1) so-as towpush the tar endet theshake away fromihe bolt.

The member-(43) comprises a strip ot met-al slidably supported between the two blocks (6) in brackets (el-il) with two springs (46) tending' to hold the strip in a .midway position. The strip is formed with its ends oft-set so thatthev latter may lie flat against the blade and are suiiiciently thin that they may be pushedinto the space lett between the bladeand the stopping member (1T) when the bolt is positioned.

The back ot the blade is: provided with a stud (l'') which engages with the strip (el-3) as shown at (48) at the time the blade has just completed its cutting' artion, so that as soon as the shake is separated from thecbolt, the extreme end of the strip ot metal (Ll-3) is pushed against theginner or near end of the shake 4for freeingY the latter 'from the member (1S) and allowingY the same to drop` on the receiving table. li'vhen the blade is moved in the opposite direction for cutting a slice ot the bolt on the lett hand side otv the machine, a lug (419) engageswith the strip (43). for pushing` the saine in the opposite direction for performing the same function ot freeing the shake cut on the other side.

lil() '.lhe operation o't myy machine is as tollows: Two bolts (la) are placed on the skids (13) and are manually advanced. Assuming that the cuttingblade is on the left hand side of the machine as viewed in Figure l, the right hand bolt is advanced until its front edge passes the crack between the tables and comes in contact with the two stopping elements (i7) and (17) which latter at first yieldingly and finally definitely stop the advance.' The blade is now made to move to the right and cuts oil a slice corresponding to the shape of the shake.

Just before completing the cutting operation lthe extension (36) strikes the lever (37) and pushes the block (Q6) to the right over the resistance of the spring (4l). Immediately upon completing the cuttingl operation the lug (47) engages with the sliding strip and forces its extreme end into the space left between the blade and the block (18) whereby the shake is forced outwardly toward the right. The far end of the shake slides along the curved inner tace ot the block and is tl'icreby pushed away from the bolt and allowed, to drop on the receiving table, The same operation is now repeated on the lett hand side with the lug (49) pushing the sliding strip in the opposite direction and with the spring (4l) returning the stopping member (17') to its original position as soon as the extension (36) of the back of the blade becomes disengaged from the leverv (37).

I claim:

l. In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, two elongated tables placed alongside of one another so as to form a crack, a blade mountedv for reciprocal motion in and over said crack and means for securing a bolt on the tables in operative relation to the blade so as to slightly project from one of the tables over the crack comprising transverse guide means for the bolt on one of the tables and stopping elements engaging opposite ends of the bolt mounted on the other table, one of the elements including a retractible sliding block and adjustable means for effecting a positive stop of the block and the other element including a pivoted block, yielding means opposing pivotal motion and adjustable means for positively stopping pivotal motion at a predetermined point` Q, In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, two elongated tables placed. alongside oi one another so as to form a crack, a blade mounted for reciprocal motion in and over said crack and means for securing a bolt on the tables in operative relation to the blade so as to slightly project from one of the tables over the crack comprising transverse guide means for the bolt on one of the tables and stopping elements engaging opposite ends ofthe bolt mounted on the other table, one of the elements including a retractible sliding block and adjustable mea-ns for ctfecting a positive stop of the block and the other element including a pivoted block, yielding means opposing pivotal motion and adjustable means for positively stopping pivotal motion at a predetermined pointin combination with means for laterally retracting the latter block for clearing the bolt at the end of the splitting operation.

3. In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, two elongated tables placed alongside of one another so as to Jform a crack, a blade mounted for reciprocal motion in and over said crack and means for securing a bolt on the tables in operative relation to the blade, so as to slightly project `from one of the tables over the crack comprising transverse guide means for the bolt on one of the tables and stopping elements engaging opposite ends of the bolt mounted on the other table, one of the elements including a retractible sliding block and adjustable means for effecting a positive stop oi3 the block and the other element including a pivoted block, yielding means opposing pivotal motion and adjustable means for positively stopping pivotal motion at a predetermined point in combination with means :tor laterally retracting the latter block for clearing the bolt at the end of the splitting operation and -with means Jfor f imparting endwise motion to the separated portion thereafter whereby the same is freed from the first element.

4. In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, guide means allowing a bolt to be advanced therebetween, stops for the front edge of the bolt and a blade mounted for reciprocating motion for separating a slice from the bolt, one of the stops having means for laterally retracting the same atthe end of the cutting operation associated therewith so as to free the separated slice Y from the same, and means being provided for imparting endwise motion to the separated piece for clearing the same from the other stop.

5. In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, guide means allowing a bolt to be advanced therebetween, stops for the front edge of the bolt and a blade mounted for reciprocating motion for separating a slice from the bolt, one of the stops includl ing a pivoted block, yielding means opposing pivotal motion and adjustable means for positively stopping pivotal motion at a predetermined point lin combination with means for laterally retracting the latter block for freeing the separated piece from the said sto J. v f

(i. In a bolt splitting machine of the character described, guide means allowing a bolt to be advanced therebetween, stops for the front edge of the bolt, anda blade mounted for reciprocating motion for Separating a slice fioin the bolt, one of the stops inoluding a pivoted block, yielding means opposing` pivotal motion and adjustable means for positively stoppingpivotal motion at a predetermined point in combination with means for laterally i'etiacting the latter block for ieeingg'the Separated piece from the said stop, and with means for imparting endwise motion to the separated piece Whereby the same is freed from the other stop.

JAMES N. THOMAS. 

